Tuesday, May 31, 2016

The current issue of McCalls magazine has featured one of my quilts again! YAY! Doing the happy dance here! So....I want to share the magazine with you and a few fat quarters to get you started on your own Molly's Sampler quilt. All you have to do to be entered to win, is leave a comment here on my blog.Also follow me and comment in Instagram. Easy peasy! The contest ends on Sunday, June 5 at midnight. I will announce a winner on Monday, June 6.

Molly's Sampler

This is the cute little sampler quilt I made...it started out with a Kansas City Star block called Grandmothers Favorite. From there I made a variety of units that are divisible by two so that everything would fit. Scraps and charm packs work well with this...and for you Jo Morton fabric lovers, I know you will recognize the fabric!

I love how McCall's photographed my quilt!

This was a very fun quilt to make, and I hope you will try your hand at one. I would love to see what you do!

Wishing you a week of wonderful creativity! Remember...being creative is not a hobby, it is a way of life...don't you agree?

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

When the British fabric designer, Beth Studley contacted me to review her new book, Mini Patchwork Project, of course I said yes. She happens to be one of my favorite designers for Andover Makower UK. She has 3 lines of fabric out with the company and recently her newest, Radiance, made its debut. Upon receiving the book from Beth, I quickly sat down and read it. The wonderful photography of the projects will entice you to make all six of the projects. I could not stop at one, so I made two. Here they are, using Beth's new line of fabric, Radiance.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

We all have frustrating days when we do more ripping out than sewing....yesterday was one of them for me. Every week I start off with a to-do list..it helps keep me on track most of the time. I truly think I have ADD....I go from project to project and sometimes never finish it! So this week, I want to finish quilts that I have started for grand-kids. The boot quilt is coming along...even with all the ripping out yesterday. Don't ask me why I had such a hard time...it really is a very easy pattern. I plan to get it all put together today...all of the blocks are completed! If you want to make one of these fun quilts, it is the Texas Two Step designed by Liz Porter...in 2015 July/August Fons and Porter magazine.

Here is my to-do list for today.....

Count my blessings

Practice kindness...to myself as well as to others

Let go of what I can't control

Listen to my heart

Be productive yet calm....do not throw the seam ripper across the room!

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Recently there have been a wonderful wave of support for makers out there...and by that, I mean the designers of wonderful quilt patterns. Lindsey of LRstitched shared her thoughts and feelings regarding patterns. I agree...I love all the free patterns out there...but there are a lot of great patterns that are for purchase as well. And until you have tried to write and publish your own pattern, you really have no idea of the hours that go into it. Today I want to share one of the patterns I just bought from Heather of Quilts Actually. It is called Forged Steel and can be made from layer cakes, charms, or your scraps. All three ideas appeal to me!

Another favorite is Jelliquilts on Craftsy....love her paper piecing patterns! I have downloaded some of her free patterns and purchased from her as well. The flying geese appeal to me the most!

Isn't this fun? I want to make a pillow maybe....

It's a very rainy day here...perfect to go finish some free motion quilting on my latest quilt design!

Saturday, May 14, 2016

So...Jack comes over and sees the condition of my sewing room...it looks like a bomb has gone off in it due to some crazy deadline secret sewing I am doing. It does look bad...take my word for it! So Jack says to me..."Gramma, I would gladly sacrifice some of my time to help you clean this room
up. " It must look worse than I had imagined! Jack is 7.....

This week has been so busy...but I cannot share any pictures with you yet! But I can tell you that I was featured over at Susan's blog, Quilt Fabrication on Midweek Makers! Thank you, Susan!

And...I am part of the 2016 New Bloggers group. Looking forward on learning how to be a better blogger! This week we are getting to know one another through Facebook, Blogs, and Instagram. Its so inspiring to visit all the blogs and get ideas going! RJR fabric company asked me to be a part of their blog hop featuring their beautiful cotton supreme solids. Received the swatch card, am I overwhelmed by the choices? YUP!!! Oh...the ideas rolling around in my head!The colors are amazing!

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Free motion quilting is very enjoyable to me...but pinning the quilt is not. Fortunately I can catch up on TV shows or a good movie while I pin. What is your least favorite part? I know that some will say binding....but I like the binding part...it means I have a finished quilt!

Look at this lovely mini-quilt I received this week! I participated in a little quilt swap on Instagram...the rules were to use V&C Ombre fabric. The texture in this quilt is so cool! I love it!

Feeling bad, because this Friday my grand daughter will turn 12 and I do not have her boot quilt finished! A deadline got in the way! So here is the card I doodled for her...and probably a bit of green stuff inside...think that will work?

Friday, May 6, 2016

Hand quilting is still one of my favorite things to do, not that I can make teeny tiny stitches. But it is so relaxing and I love the feel of the fabric in my hands...don't you? This is a fun quilt from the Kim Diehl What Not club that needed to be finished.

And I got some lovely happy mail yesterday all the way from Great Britain...time for some secret sewing that I will share with you at the end of the month. This is Makower Radiance by Beth Studley....love it and it plays well with her previous lines of fabric.

On my birthday road trip to Dallas last weekend, I did finish a crochet blanket for Project Linus.
Sewing is hard to do in the car, but crochet I can manage without getting car sick. Don't you think Bella Rose is trying to tell me she wants this for her very own blankie? Our little fur-babies tend to think every quilt and blanket is made just for them!

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

This is a fun little pillow I made using one of my doodle drawings. I used muslin for the background, a waterproof black pen and watered down acrylic craft paints.

After the paint dried...I set it with a warm iron. Now comes some more fun! Embellished it with embroidery stitches...just simple French knots and back stitch. The patchwork border is made up of scraps and I bound the raw edges.

It seems that I have REAL flowers that are waiting to be planted today...and the weather is going to be sunny and 72 degrees. So how perfect is that??? Getting an hour or two of sewing in on some secret sewing, then outdoors I go!